SKODA has hit the small and mid-sized market hard with the Octavia, offering an almost bewildering choice of models that boast European flair in the way they drive as well as look. It also ticks many of the right boxes for value, safety, quality and eco credentials. Even a short stint in any of the models will soon have many impressed. But we cannot help but think that – as well as sounding a warning to the rival makers from Asia and Europe – the Octavia might just be an upstart within Skoda’s own Volkswagen organisation, showing up many of the other models that the German-owned firm produces. It will be an interesting exercise to watch.